Arlington man charged with assaulting women on Orange Line

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An Arlington man is facing several charges after allegedly assaulting two women and attempting to steal a cellphone from one of them on an Orange Line train Monday night, authorities said.

Richard Botelho, 43, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday in South Boston District Court on charges of unarmed assault with intent to rob, resisting arrest, and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, the Suffolk district attorney’s office said.

Transit Police said they responded to a report of an assault in progress at the MBTA’s Haymarket Station at 8:45 p.m. and discovered a male passenger restraining a combative Botelho on the station’s platform.

No injuries were reported.

The two women told police that Botelho began to “verbally berate them with insults” while they were riding the train. Both said they asked Botelho to leave them alone and then moved to another section of the train.

Botelho allegedly followed the women and attempted to grab a phone being held by one of the victims. A struggle ensued, during which Botelho allegedly spat on both victims and started swinging “his fists wildly,” police said.